FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Braintree’s playoff hopes hinge on Milton

The Wamps won in thrilling fashion Friday night, beating host Framingham, 43-42 in overtime, on Matt Darling’s 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the extra period. Now they need Milton to win at Wellesley on Saturday morning to secure a playoff berth.

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

Writer

Posted Oct. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 26, 2013 at 5:24 PM

Posted Oct. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 26, 2013 at 5:24 PM

QUINCY

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Go, Milton!

That’s what the Braintree High football team will be thinking Saturday morning as it tries to root its Thanksgiving rival on to a victory that would send the Wamps to the playoffs.

Braintree won in thrilling fashion Friday night, beating host Framingham, 43-42 in overtime, on Matt Darling’s 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the extra period.

The Wamps (3-4, 2-3 Bay State Conference Carey Division) inched closer to a spot in the new MIAA statewide playoff system. Braintree entered the weekend in ninth place in the Division 2 South Sectional power rankings, just behind Wellesley for the final wild-card spot. Coach Brian Chamberlain said his team needs Milton (3-3) to win at Wellesley (3-3) on Saturday morning to sneak in.

“That’s a big one,” Chamberlain said. “We’ll be rooting for Milton, which is kind of killing us.”

The game was tied 8-8 at halftime. Braintree’s score came on Justin Dutcher’s 38-yard interception return and Columbus’ 2-point conversion run.

“Both teams kind of figured out what to do on offense, I guess,” Chamberlain said of the second-half scoring binge. “There were some big plays on both sides.”

Columbus sandwiched 1- and 2-yard TD runs around a 15-yard scoring pass from Mike Mahoney to Derek Anson after the break. Salisbury capped the regulation scoring with a 16-yard run.

Darling scored on Braintree’s first OT play, and Thiago Pinto booted the PAT.

Framingham (1-5, 1-3) answered with a TD and then went for the win but threw incomplete on the 2-point play.

Anson had five catches for 106 yards and added 13 tackles and a forced fumble on defense. Along with his hard running, Salisbury added a 60-yard option pass that set up a fourth-quarter touchdown.

In other football action:

Plymouth North 21, Sandwich 0: The Blue Eagles overcame three turnovers in recording a second straight Atlantic Coast League shutout.

The win cements a playoff spot for North (5-2, 4-2). The Blue Eagles entered the weekend No. 2 in the power rankings (behind Plymouth South) in the Division 3 Southeastern Sectional.

North should be awarded a home game when the MIAA playoff committee meets Sunday to set the slate for the first week of playoff games that start Friday, Nov. 1.

Junior tailback Christian Carr did the bulk of the damage Friday, rushing for 182 yards and two TDs on 19 carries. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the seventh consecutive game.

Carr also had an apparent 62-yard TD run nullified by a penalty.

Defensively, Plymouth North picked off a pass and recovered two fumbles as the Blue Eagles held the opposition to a touchdown or less for the fifth time this season.

Page 2 of 3 - Set up nicely by his own 56-yard scamper, Carr took the ball again and went in from 6 yards out for a score with 3:46 left in the first half. The PAT was missed.

Aaron Chase kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 9-0 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Cullin Cosgrove’s 44-yard pass to Brandon Greene put Plymouth North in scoring position again. Carr finished the job with a 12-yard run to make it 15-0.

Greene joined the scoring list later in the third quarter, hauling in a 15-yard pass from Cosgrove in the corner of the end zone. The kick was blocked, leaving the final score at 21-0.

David Wolcott

Duxbury 27, Quincy 14: The Green Dragons clinched their sixth straight Patriot League Keenan Division crown and earned another postseason berth – this one in the Division 2 South Sectional of the new statewide playoff system.

Duxbury (5-1, 4-0) led 13-0 halftime and was up 27-0 late in the third quarter before Quincy (4-3, 2-2) scored two late touchdowns.

The Green Dragons opened the scoring in the first quarter when Marcus Urann recovered a fumble in the end zone. The PAT was no good, leaving the Duxbury up 6-0.

In the second quarter, freshman quarterback Bobby Maimaron threw a 9-yard TD pass to junior wide receiver Joey Dacey on third down. Senior Tyler Powers added the PAT for a 13-0 lead.

“Our D started fast giving us a 7-0 lead, which is a great way to start the game, and then we got the offense on track,” said Duxbury coach Dave Maimaron.

Quincy had a chance to get back into the game just before halftime. Following a Ryan Turpin interception, the Presidents drove to the Duxbury 16, but a false start set them back. A 10-yard sack by senior Victor Moitinho ended the threat.

Duxbury junior Cam Walsh hit senior Wes Quinzani from 52 yards out for the first TD of the second half. Powers added the extra point to make the score 20-0.

Duxbury scored again with 1:48 left in the third on Devin DeMeritt’s 1-yard run. Powers’ PAT made the score 27-0.

Quincy got on the board with 8:19 left to play when Jahvae Handsome-Fields scored on a 2-yard run.

The Presidents added a late touchdown on an 8-yard pass from James Lam to J.T. Bain. Lam hit Jake Bergonzi for the two-point conversion to bring the final to 27-14.

Trailing 33-21, Marshfield stormed back into the lead on a pair of Ben Joyal TD runs, the second with 3:18 remaining.

Page 3 of 3 - After Desimone’s TD Marshfield drove down into D-Y territory but threw incomplete in the end zone to fall just short.

The Rams trailed 27-21 after a wild first half. Three times Marshfield took the lead, only to see D-Y answer.

Robert Rovito opened the scoring on a 56-yard run, but Desimone responded with a 2-yard TD run for a 7-7 tie.

James Marzelli put the Rams ahead 14-7 on a 4-yard TD run, but Michael Dunn hauled in a 34-yard TD pass from Spencer Tyler for D-Y. The PAT failed, leaving Marshfield ahead, 14-13, after one quarter.

Jack Masterson scored on a 9-yard run to push the Rams’ lead to 21-13, but D-Y scored twice before the break – on Dunn’s 43-yard TD catch and Tyler’s 43-yard run.

Scituate 38, North Quincy 20: Dawayne Kirton rushed for 151 yards and three TDs on 14 carries as the Sailors (6-1, 4-0 Patriot League Fisher Division) tuned up for the Div. 4 South Sectional playoffs with a road win over the Red Raiders (1-6, 0-4).

Hanover 15, Pembroke 6: The Indians (4-3, 3-1) did all their scoring in the first quarter for a Homecoming victory over the Titans (1-5, 1-3). Hanover clinches second place in the Patriot League Fisher Division and strengthened its case for a Div. 4 South Sectional playoff berth.

Plymouth South 14, Falmouth 0: The Panthers (5-1, 5-1) clinched their second straight Atlantic Coast League championship by beating Falmouth (1-6, 0-6) on the road.